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Hands-on, minds-on: How real-world play builds skills screens can’t

By Playeum




In the time it takes a child to build a tower with blocks, a toddler today can scroll through dozens of videos on a tablet. In Singapore, young children spend an average of 2.5 hours daily on screens (Chen et al., 2020), while teenagers can spend up to 8.5 hours immersed in digital worlds (Anand & Tang, 2025). Screens may entertain, but they cannot replicate the sensory, physical, and social experiences that hands-on play offers.


Research shows that excessive screen use can affect health and brain development. Toddlers who spend more than three hours daily on screens tend to be less physically active by the time they reach kindergarten age (Chen et al., 2020). Prolonged exposure has also been linked to poorer cognitive outcomes, including language delays, reduced attention, and difficulties with social interaction (Teo, 2024).


So what can we opt into instead? The answer lies in more opportunities for physical, tactile play, says Associate Professor Sirene Lim from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). She emphasises that real-world, hands-on experiences are essential for children to build meaningful connections, strengthen mind–body integration, and develop critical life skills for an increasingly digital world.


Limiting screen time alone, she argues, is not enough; children also need rich, engaging alternatives that support how they learn and grow.


Dr Lim shared these insights at the Good Start Early Childhood Conference last year, co-organised by Presbyterian Preschool Services with Playeum and SUSS, which welcomed over 1,000 preschool educators and early childhood advocates.


In this article, we highlight 5 key takeaways from her address, along with recommendations parents and educators can take to support children’s play.


  1. Limiting screen time alone is not a sufficient strategy

    Simply reducing screen use does not address the deeper developmental needs of children. Research shows that excessive screen time is most problematic when children are left alone, sedentary, silent, and mindlessly engaged. The real issue is not screens, but the loss of embodied, relational, and meaningful real-world experiences that support brain and self-regulation development.



Don’t let your children stay on “screen saver” mode


When screens are used, parents can add ‘layers of learning’ by staying involved. For example, singing along, talking about what is happening on the screen, asking simple questions, or connecting on-screen content to everyday experiences. These shared moments can help transform passive viewing into interactive, relational engagement.


  1. Mind and body are inseparable in learning and development


    Healthy development depends on strong mind-body connections, supported by movement and sensory experience. Physical activity increases blood flow, oxygen, and glucose to the brain, supports nerve growth, and releases chemicals that help children manage stress and emotions. Learning is not only something that happens in the head. It is distributed across the whole nervous system.

  2. Executive functioning (EF) develops through real-world, embodied practice


    Executive functioning skills cannot be fully developed through abstract instruction or digital “training” alone. Executive functioning, such as inhibitory control, working memory, and mental flexibility, emerges slowly from early childhood into adulthood. These skills are best practised in messy, unpredictable, social, and real-life contexts, where children must adapt, wait, negotiate, remember rules, and manage impulses.

  3. Preschools must resist “disembodied” curricula


    Early childhood education should integrate care, movement, and learning rather than separating them. Daily routines such as mealtimes, toileting, dressing, tool use are not interruptions to learning but opportunities for practising self-regulation, coordination, independence, and social understanding. Teaching and care are inseparable in early childhood.

  4. Trusting children is a pedagogical stance, not a passive one


    Supporting children requires intentional, responsive adult involvement. Educators and caregivers play a crucial role by setting boundaries, offering variety, observing closely, and extending thinking, allowing space for mistakes, and intervening thoughtfully during conflict. Trusting children means believing in their capacity to learn over time.


Taken together, these insights point us toward one clear direction: creating richer, more embodied play experiences in children’s everyday lives.


In an AI-driven future, play is what helps children stay human.


What can parents do to support young children through play?


  1. Encourage physical play Active, physical play places high and meaningful demands on children’s executive functioning skills. Through physical play, children navigate space, coordinate their bodies, assess risk, manage conflict, and collaborate with others. These experiences naturally integrate attention, emotion regulation, problem-solving, and social understanding in ways that worksheets or screen-based activities cannot.


  1. Let our children take the lead Children learn more richly when they have choice, time, and open-ended materials. Research comparing control, teacher-led, and play-based groups shows that children in play-rich environments demonstrate stronger symbolic thinking, narrative skills, problem-solving, motivation, and confidence (Whitebread, Jameson, & Basilio, 2015). While play can involve more social conflict, this is also where learning deepens, especially when adults play alongside rather than direct.


  1. Introduce loose parts and open-ended materials The richness of play environments matters as much as the time given to play. Loose parts - objects or elements that can be moved, combined, redesigned, and repurposed - invite exploration, invention, and sustained engagement (Nicholson, 1971). Such materials support flexible thinking and creativity by allowing children to define problems and solutions for themselves.



Our favourite bits, pieces, and wonder


Start with a delightful mix of safe, everyday items - a few containers, some natural materials, and interesting bits and pieces from around the home. Arrange them in an inviting way and enjoy watching your child take the lead with their ideas.


You can support their thinking with gentle observations like, “I see you’re stacking those,” or “You found a way to balance that!” which show your interest while giving them space to explore.


Welcome the creativity that comes with a little mess, and make room for unhurried discovery. The real learning happens through experimenting, imagining, and problem-solving along the way.



Here are some favourite loose parts you might already have around you:


Natural Loose Parts

  • Sticks, twigs, branches

  • Stones, pebbles, rocks

  • Leaves

  • Sand, mud, soil

  • Flowers, seeds


Recycled / Reused Loose Parts

  • Plastic bottle caps

  • Cardboard boxes or tubes

  • Plastic bottles

  • Fabric scraps, old clothes

  • Buttons, corks, beads

  • Jar lids


Household Loose Parts

  • Wooden spoons, spatulas

  • Small containers or bowls

  • Buckets and cups

  • Rubber bands, string, or ribbons

  • Paper, cardboard sheets

  • Cushions, mats, or pillows


Forces & Environmental Elements

  • Wind (moving scarves, leaves)

  • Rain (puddles, mud, splashes)

  • Sunlight (shadows, reflections)

  • Water currents (streams, sprinklers)


People can be ‘loose parts’ for play too! Friends, siblings, or even adults can become moving, playful elements in a game, story, or imaginative world. Just like sticks or stones, they can be part of building, exploring, or inventing something new together.



Play matters for tweens too


As children enter the tween years, play doesn’t disappear. It evolves. It might look different as they grow, but it remains just as important. For children aged 10 and above, play is still a powerful way to use their imagination, solve problems, build friendships, and stay physically active.


Being active together as a family or with friends, whether it’s exploring the outdoors, trying a new sport, or turning everyday moments into playful challenges, can make play feel exciting and meaningful for everyone.


Check out these resources for inspiration on active play with your child:





Stay tuned as we explore more ways play can stay meaningful and engaging throughout the tween years.


In 2024, Associate Professor Sirene Lim, together with the early childhood faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Playeum, and Samantha Tan co-authored “Are We Brave Enough to Let Our Children Play?”, a white paper that calls for renewed courage in how adults make space for children’s free play, grounded in research, insights, and actionable recommendations. Read the full paper here: https://www.playeum.com/research-whitepaper-2024


References


Anand, A., & Tang, L. (2025, January 30). Singapore teenagers spend nearly 8.5 hours a day on screens: CNA‑IPS survey. Channel NewsAsia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/screen-time-devices-survey-teens-spend-daily-stress-4908281


Chen, B., Bernard, J. Y., Padmapriya, N., Ning, Y., Cai, S., Lança, C., Tan, K. H., Yap, F., Chong, Y. S., Shek, L., Godfrey, K. M., Saw, S. M., Chan, S.‑Y., Eriksson, J. G., Tan, C. S., & Müller‑Riemenschneider, F. (2020). Associations between early‑life screen viewing and 24‑hour movement behaviours: Findings from a longitudinal birth cohort study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(3), 201–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352‑4642(19)30424‑9


Nicholson, S. (1971). The theory of loose parts: How NOT to cheat children. Landscape Architecture, 62(1), 30–35.


Teo, J. (2024, June 30). Why parents must protect young children from excessive use of screen time. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/why-parents-must-protect-young-children-from-excessive-use-of-screen-time


Whitebread, D., Jameson, H., & Basilio, M. (2015). Play beyond the Foundation Stage: Play, self-regulation and narrative skills. In J. Moyles (Ed.), The excellence of play (4th ed., pp. 84–93). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

 
 
 

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